New LabVIEW 2019 Feature: Create Constant, Create Control, and Create Indicator

[elset191]

Ok, what gives.  I got used to this in LV2020 (and really like it) but in LV2023, which I just installed, it's no longer there so I have to reteach myself again? 

Am I the only one who is seeing this behavior in 2023?  Can I get it back, or do I have to install the menu plugin Darren has mentioned?

[Darren]

Yeah, in LabVIEW 2023 Q3 those menu items were removed because of the new double-click feature. When you are wiring from a terminal, you can double-click to create a control or indicator where you double-click. If you Ctrl-double-click, it will create a constant.

I also find myself missing those menu items, but I'm trying to get used to the double-click feature, which seems like it will be a more efficient mechanism to create constant/control/indicator in the long run.

[elset191]

Ugh.  Seems like creating a wire then double clicking somewhere is more hassle than just right click>create.  We'll see if I can adapt myself to doing that.  I'm sure I can.  

But still, why not just have both options? 

(Plus I'm not the only one who is annoyed with that double-click feature on unrelated grounds.)

EDIT: Observations from playing around with the double click in my usual workflows:

- Cannot create constant when ctrl+double clicking from a wire source - seems to always make an indicator.  You can create a constant from the right click after you have the wire segment, but this has the downsides of creating the wire (which is broken immediately of course)  Plus, the added work of having to create the wire just to use the right click menu anyways

- Cannot create a floating constant from a sink that's already wired.  Just creates a new constant wired to it which breaks the whole thing.

[Darren]

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@elset191 wrote:

Ugh.  Seems like creating a wire then double clicking somewhere is more hassle than just right click>create. 

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That's the thing, though. You're not double-clicking "somewhere", you're double-clicking exactly where you want the constant/control/indicator to be placed. So in theory, it should be more efficient, as right-click > Create still requires you to position the created item after it is created.

[elset191]

I mentioned in an edit on my last post that it seems like I mostly use this for (floating) constants.  And it's rarely a constant I want RIGHT THERE.  It's just the quickest way to get a constant of a given type.  (second to quick drop, but that doesn't have constants for all the random clusters I have floating around. No, they're not all typedefs)

Also, the "somewhere" I'm double clicking has proven to always be several pixels from where I want it, so I end up moving the terminal to line it up anyway. 

[Yamaeda]

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@Darren wrote:

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Me too. But instead of trying to stretch with my pinky on the left Ctrl and my index finger on U, I shift my left hand to the right side of the keyboard, with index finger on right Ctrl and pinky on U.

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Are you missing thumbs? It's way easier if you use your thumb on the right Ctrl. 🙂

[Hooovahh]

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@Yamaeda wrote:

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@Darren wrote:

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Me too. But instead of trying to stretch with my pinky on the left Ctrl and my index finger on U, I shift my left hand to the right side of the keyboard, with index finger on right Ctrl and pinky on U.

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Are you missing thumbs? It's way easier if you use your thumb on the right Ctrl. 🙂

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I use a split keyboard.  My two halves are separated by about 8 inches.  So my left hand doesn't leave the home row.  I agree that a pinky stretch over and over can be a problem.  Which is why I have a CTRL foot pedal, and map the middle click on the mouse to CTRL+Space for QD so I stretch to CTRL less often.  I remember early on QD shortcuts would have the left hand type keys that it shouldn't be able to reach from the home row and I complained to Darren.  He didn't mind stretching to the right half of the keyboard occasionally, but I can't really do that.

[Yamaeda]

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@Hooovahh wrote:

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@Yamaeda wrote:

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@Darren wrote:

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Me too. But instead of trying to stretch with my pinky on the left Ctrl and my index finger on U, I shift my left hand to the right side of the keyboard, with index finger on right Ctrl and pinky on U.

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Are you missing thumbs? It's way easier if you use your thumb on the right Ctrl. 🙂

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I use a split keyboard.  My two halves are separated by about 8 inches.  

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I don't see how that affects anything, unless there are split keyboards without Control on the right side? 

[Hooovahh]

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@Yamaeda wrote:

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@Hooovahh wrote:

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@Yamaeda wrote:

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@Darren wrote:

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Me too. But instead of trying to stretch with my pinky on the left Ctrl and my index finger on U, I shift my left hand to the right side of the keyboard, with index finger on right Ctrl and pinky on U.

---

Are you missing thumbs? It's way easier if you use your thumb on the right Ctrl. 🙂

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I use a split keyboard.  My two halves are separated by about 8 inches.  

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I don't see how that affects anything, unless there are split keyboards without Control on the right side? 

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When I keep my left hand on the home row, I can't reach the H key for instance.  I'm not taking my hand off of the home row because I don't look down at my keyboard.  It is pretty hard to find the U and CTRL keys, using my left hand, if I don't look down.  I feel like taking my eyes off my screen slow me down.  If I have to look down, then I can't be moving the mouse where it needs to go.  Left hand is tabbing to the tool I want next, while my right hand is going where I want, while foot pedal is pressing CTRL so my left hand doesn't need to stretch as much.  But then again I clean up wires so seldom that I can do other things like click the Clean Up Selection button.